Strawberry-picker.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

A. B. BERGQUIST. STRAWBERRY PIGKER.

APPLICATION PILED-AUG..14, 1907- M 0 AM 4 Witmmzo attorney ARTHUR E.BERGQUIST, O1 LINDSTROM, MINNESOTA.

STRAWBERRY-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Applicatiomfiled August 14, 1907. Serial No. 388,519.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. BERG- QUIST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lindstrom, in the county of Chisago and State ofMinnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Strawberry-.Pickers, of which the following is a S1)6Clli0a tion.

This invention is an improved strawberry picking implement comprising astall or thimble to be placed on a finger and having a plate at itsouter end for use in cutting the stems of the berries, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The object of this invention is to provide a cheap, simple, andserviceable implement for use in severing the stems of strawberriesWhile picking the same so that the berries are not injured by thepulling of the stem therefrom as is the case when berries are picked inthe ordinary manner and which imple ment also enables the berries to bepicked without danger of bruising or otherwise injuring the same.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of astrawberry picking implement constructed in accordance with thisinvention, showing the same in use on the forefinger. Fi .2 is a detailperspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectionalview of the same.

In accordance with this invention I provide a stall or thimble 1 for useon one of the fingers, usually and preferably on the forefinger, andwhich is made of elastic material or fabric, such as rubber or acomposition of fabric and rubber. At the outer end of the said stall orthimble is a plate 2 which is made of steel and is provided with aconcave cutting edge 3 in its outer end adapted for use in severing thestems of strawberries by placing such stems between the thumb and suchedge of the plate. The concave shape of such cutting edge of the plategreatly facilitates the application of the plate thereto.

In practice, when picking strawberries, the picker grasps a berrybetween the thumb and forefinger and manipulates the latter to cause thesharpened edge of the plate of the stall or thimble to cut the stem ofthe berry so as to leave the stem of a length of about half an inch andattached to the berry, hence leaving the crown or cap of the berry and aportion of the stem intact and avoiding injury to the berry such. asresults by pulling the berry from the stem as is the usual practice. Bythus severing the stems of the berries, when gathering the same, whichmay be readily done by the picker by the use of my improved implement,the berries are prevented from being bruised and the same caused toremain in good condition very much longer than berries which are pulled,as heretofore, from. the stems.

\Yithin the scope of my invention the plate may be attached to the stallor thimble by any suitable means and any suitable mannor and I do notdesire to limit myself in this particular.

In Fig. J) of the drmvings I show concaveconvex disks 4, 5, respectivelyon the outer and inner sides of the closed end of the stall or thimble,which disks are made of metal or other suitable strong and durablematerial, serve to protect the outer end of such stall or thimble andare provided with central openings, to receive the stud 6 with which thesaid plate is provided, at its inner end, said stud being headed, afterit has been thus applied to the said disks to retain and. secure theplate in place.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l. A berr v pickingimplement of the class described comprising a thimble or stall closed atits outer end, disks on the outer and inner sides of said closed outerend of the thimble or stall and a plate having a stem at its inner endextending through said disks and said closed outer end of the stall.

A berry picking implement of the class described comprising a thimble orstall having a closed outer end convex on its outer side and concave onits inner side, concaveconvex disks on the outer and inner sides of saidclosed outer end of the stall and a plate having a stem at its inner endextending through said disks and said closed outer end of the thimble orstall.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR E. BERGQUIST.

Witnesses P. M. QUis'r, 0. L. PETERSON.

